Sex, Shame, and Violence

Kathleen Cash

Description

For more than three decades, Kathleen Cash has lived and worked with impoverished people, learning about their lives. Listening to them talk about their feelings of shame, Cash heard how people suffered from being unable to change what was happening to them--HIV infection, sexual and domestic violence, violence toward children, and environmental degradation. She saw that many interventions lacked emotional and cultural integrity and thus did little to alleviate these hardships. So Cash went outside the conventional approaches to health promotion and social justice and devised a community narrative practice, a strategy for engaging people through storytelling. From numerous ethnographic interviews, she pieced together cultural stories in a way that resonated with community people and revealed the paradoxes in their suffering. Cash recruited local artists to illustrate the stories in a form resembling a graphic novel and distributed these booklets for community discussion. (This book includes excerpts from these illustrated stories.)

In Thailand, Bangladesh, Haiti, Uganda, and the United States, people learned to talk about forbidden subjects and say what they could never say before. They stood up to each other, reconciled, and made health-seeking decisions. By helping others, they repaired themselves. In cathartic conversations they acknowledged shame, which led to acts of courage and generosity.

Sujets

• Public Health
• Health Care Issues
• Human Rights
• CAB Direct (database)
• Sexuality
• Education
• Health
• Fitness

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 19 juillet 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826520524
• Langue: English

Extrait

SEX, SHAME, AND VIOLENCE
SEX, SHAME, AND VIOLENCE
A Revolutionary Practice of Public Storytelling in Poor Communities
KATHLEEN CASH
Vanderbilt University Press
NASHVILLE
© 2016 by Kathleen Cash
All rights reserved
Published 2016 by Vanderbilt University Press
Nashville, Tennessee 37235
First printing 2016
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Frontispiece: Images from Agnes , a narrative used in the Ugandan project.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file
LC control number 2014030777
LC classification number RA418.5.P6
Dewey class number 362.1086’942—dc23
ISBN 978-0-8265-2050-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-8265-2051-7 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-8265-2052-4 (ebook)
To Shama, Sophie, and Rose,
and to my parents, Isabel and Irv—
for their generosity in immeasurable ways
Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
1. Lessons from Others
2. Storytelling and Shame
3. The Narrative
Step 1: Ethnographic Research
Step 2: Data Analysis and Plot Design
Step 3: Narrative Structure
Step 4: Narrative Contextualization
4. The Pedagogy
Step 5: Practice
5. Evaluation
6. An Example of Narrative Practice
Toma and Sentana
7. Reflections
References
Index
Acknowledgments
I am very grateful to the hundreds of people who willingly became involved in various aspects of the eight projects that are the basis of this book, as research respondents, participants, and even families or friends of participants. For some, this took many hours of their time, in sometimes blistering heat, without material compensation, which demonstrated a belief that this project had something of value to offer them. I do not know the names of all these people, but I have images of them and recollections of their stories.
Over fifteen hundred people have been instrumental in the development and field-testing of these projects. These people have been administrators, researchers, translators, artists, facilitators, and evaluators. Though there are too many to acknowledge, these are a few to whom I am particularly grateful.
From the Thai project: At International Center for Research for Women (ICRW, www.icrw.org ), an organization conducting research dedicated to empowering women, director Geeta Rao Gupta, and staff Ellen Weiss and Daniel Whelan. At Chiang Mai University, Deans Kasem Wattananchai and Jaratbhan Sanguansermsri; project staff Bupa Anasuchatkul, Porntip Chuamanochan, and Rachanee Sriornsri; translators Srivilai Dorkchan and Narin Kaewmeesri; and artists Wattana Wattanapun and Nat Tamrongpittayanan.
From the Bangladeshi project: At BRAC ( www.brac.net ), an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty, director Fazel Hassan Abed; staff A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury, Sadia Chowdhury, and Kanis Fatima; and project staff Hashima-E-Nasreen. At International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B), an international health research institution, director Abbas Bhuiya and project staff Ayesha Aziz.
From the Haitian projects: Under the auspices of Fonkoze ( www.fonkoze.org ), Haiti’s largest microfinance institution that works to provide financial and non-financial services for poor Haitian women, director Anne Hastings; project staff Jean Giny Casseus, Dominique, Jean Reynolds Imera, Patrice Fougan, Nicolas Ledoux, Megan Affronti, and Jennifer Joyce; facilitators Micheline Fleurimond, Lianne Joseph, Darline Malvoisin, Inofie Malvoisin, Juline Salomon, and Molienne Samuelle. At Hospital Albert Schweitzer, director Henry Perry; staff Rubin Petit, Gabriel Joseph, Alex Smith, Johann Preval, and Eric E. N. Jean; artists Albert Coussaint and Bon-Aime Johnson. From Beyond Borders ( beyondborders.net ), a nonprofit organization that works to end child slavery and violence toward women and girls, director David Diggs and project staff Myriam Narcisse, Freda Catheus, Huegel Mesidor, Andrea Pierre, Abelard Xavier, Adjanie Barthelemy, Johnny Estor, Samson Joseph, Edith Philistin, Anunondieu Jean, Reginal Jules, Antonio Presume, and Wilfaut Louis. At Matewan Community School, staff Ezner Angervil, Chris Lowe, Abner Sauveur, Benaja Antoine, Edvard Guilloteau, Emmanuel Jean, and Aunondieu Jean; translators Nadine Bellile, Ron Bluntschli, Daniel Cadet, Anna Ferdinand, Paula Hyppolite, Pierre Minn, Giscard Nazon, Tessa Richardson, Carla Bluntschli, Pierre Francillon, Frantz Henoch, Alcenat Honorat, Altidor Josue, Anne McConnell, Rodye Paquiot, Landsy Pierre, Lisa Regnier, and Geto Sainristil; artists Vady Confident, Stanley Roijude, Marco Saint Juste, Keytia, Junior Sylvaince, Ludger Bastien, Eder Romeus, Jean Louis Wisly, and Marcia Kent.
From the Latino and African American projects in Los Angeles: At Common Ground ( commongroundhiv.org ), an HIV and AIDS counseling and community center, director Jane Adams and project staff Danny Getzoff, David Kanouse, and Effraim Talavera. From the Latino project, artists Marcelo Bienevedes, Angel Garcia, Michael Docherty, Cindy Segura, and Justin Yparraguirre; facilitators Maurilia Bravo and Concepcion Rechtszaj; and the staffs of Bienstar, the Pasedena Job Center, IDEPSCA, Upward Bound House (specifically Tracy Woodbury), the Virginia Avenue Recreation Center, and Olympic High School. From the African American project, project staff Patricia “Sugar” Witherspoon, Brigitte Edwards, Sandra Cannon, and Gloria Munoz; artists Sidney James, Michael Docherty, and Carlos Juzang; consultant Hendrik Marias; and the staffs of Help the People Foundation, Clare Foundation, Sober Living, the women of His Sheltering Arms (especially Ms. Lillian Jefferies), and the men of Avalon Carter (especially Mr. D. Christenson).
From the Ugandan project: The Fulbright Foundation; the staffs of the Center for Domestic Violence and Raising Voices ( www.raisingvoices.org ), the Good Hope Foundation for Rural Development and Action Aid; artists Anjang Daniel, Ayena Patrick, Ojok Robert, Patrick Paul Kiwanuka, Marcia Kent, Angel Garcia, Jessica Cheng, Amber Helms, Sarah Gibbons, Adam Cohen, Catlin Buckley, and Janine Williams; translators Alex Ocen and Ayena Patrick. From the Lira field test, the women and men of the Starch Factory Health Care Group, the Arikino Sunday Group, the Woro Mite Group, Hosanna Vocational School, the Acake Women’s Group, and Canyelo Group; facilitators Awio Dorcus, Otim Ivan, Susan Ekwar, Luci Okello, Agnes Ayo, Okabo Yeko, Odong Haggai, Okello Alfred, and Kamoga Doreen. From the Pader field test, at Concern Worldwide ( www.concern.net ), a nongovernmental international organization that works to alleviate poverty in the world’s poorest countries, the directors Carol Morgan and Mary O’Neill and staff Simon Foster, Indrani Mukerjee Chris Oyua, and John Okello. From Women and Rural Development Network (Worudet), an organization dedicated to ending social injustices such as gender-based violence, director Betty Akullo and facilitators Lam Bosco, Ocan Thomas, Atimango Florence, Banya George, Omony Edwin, Okeny John, Too-lit Bosco, Akera Valentino, Angom Duculina, Lalam Sabina, Oyella Christina, Alimo Filder, Lajara Lillian, Labongo Vento, Moro Augustina, Adiyo Polline, and Olango Samuel.
Over the years developing eight programs, I worked with people who offered support in multiple ways and with whom I have had long-lasting friendships. In Thailand, I was fortunate to have had two mentors, Ousa Thanakatul and Sirmsree Chaisorn. I am indebted to the exceptional people who went far beyond the expected as researchers, trainers, translators, advisors, and artists: Wantana Busayawong in the Thai project; Sonia Lee, Coleen Hedgelin, and Steve Werlin in the Haitian projects; Sharful “Bobby” Khan in the Bangladeshi project; Diana Andrade and Carlos Bermudez in the Latino project; Naimah Daaood and Precious Stallworth in the African American project; Sophie Adong and Omony Bosco in the Ugandan project; and Wes Casto, a graphic artist who worked on multiple projects.
Then there are those people without whose belief in my work, I would not have been able to begin and continue—people who have truly “stayed the course.” I am indebted to Bill Resnick and Ruth Messenger who showed me continuous support in the magnanimity of their deeds and their character. I am very grateful to and in awe of Anne Hastings, one of the founders of Fonkoze, who gave me access to the resources of that amazing microfinance organization in order to develop three projects. Fonkoze, together with Beyond Borders, under the thoughtful leadership of David Diggs, allowed me to develop my most beloved project, the children’s rights program. Special thanks to Shana Swiss, Chris Lowe, Barbie Lazarus, Carol Jenkins, and Regina Charon, with whom I shared conversations about our common beliefs; to Jessica Cheng, Colleen Hedgelin, Vinh-Kim Nguyen, Karen Manzo, and Vivian Gornick, who read my manuscript and gave me helpful suggestions.
Over many years, there are some who have been my most ardent advocates: Ioanna Trivilas, with her perspicacity, courage and caring; Diana Andrade, with her good-heartedness and resourcefulness; friends in Morgantown, Mt. Morris, Los Angeles, Stephentown, Boston, Montague, Baltimore, Laramie, New York, Milwaukee, Ames, and elsewhere—thank you all.
Judith Vichniac, the director of the Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program, and the Hdry Foundation gave me the backing and impetus to begin this book. Geoffrey Fuller’s incisive literary talents led me to the form this book finally took. Elissa Hoffman graciously and insightfully edited my manuscript. I wa